An oil tanker capsized and exploded in northern Haiti, releasing a fireball that swept homes and businesses and killed at least 60 people. This is a recent tragedy in Caribbean countries.

The explosion occurred shortly after midnight in Cape Haiti, the second largest city on the northern coast of Haiti. A few hours later, at dawn on Tuesday, the buildings and overturned vehicles were still smoking, and firefighters covered the bodies of the charred young victims with white sheets and loaded them on the back of the construction truck.

Hundreds of Haitians-they are not easily shocked by so many misfortunes in the country-it is incredible to watch so many lives die on the roof. At the same time, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, a doctor, visited a hospital where victims were fighting for their lives from head to toe due to shortages of medical supplies and health workers.

"What happened was horrible," said Cap-Haïtien Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor, adding that he expected the death toll to rise as first responders searched buildings destroyed by the fire . "We have lost too many lives."

Early reports indicated that the tanker tried to avoid oncoming motorcycles when it turned over. Afterwards, bystanders rushed to the scene carrying buckets to pick up as much of the valuable cargo from the tanker as possible. These cargoes were likely to be resold on the black market because the fuel spilled into a pile of smoldering garbage nearby.

"It was after midnight, and I heard a loud noise, so I asked one of my boys to have a look. He told me that a gasoline truck had exploded," said 61-year-old Abraham Joanis. Carrying a guitar unscathed from the scorched ruins of his home, this was one of 50 people destroyed by the fire.

"I left with my family immediately, and I walked to the bridge from another road," he added.

The reason for the high death toll is that in recent months, in the case of severe shortages, desperate Haitians have had to fight for gasoline, because the severe shortage has closed gas stations, causing fuel prices on the black market to soar and forcing companies Closed, as the U.S. and Canadian governments have warned their citizens to leave when they can.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7 and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed tens of thousands of houses a few weeks later, the shortage is the latest sign of society’s marginalization.

This country of more than 11 million people has also been attacked by a surge in gang-related kidnappings, including 17 missionaries from American religious organizations who were kidnapped in mid-October. Five of them have been released, but another 12 are still in custody.

"What our country has to go through is terrible," said Dave Laros, a civil engineer working in Cap-Haitien.

The hospital in Haiti’s second largest city does not seem to be able to deal with this disaster.

Burn victims at Justinen University Hospital screamed in pain as they pleaded for basic supplies and more medical staff.

Henry, wearing a biochemical protective suit, folded his hands together and leaned over to comfort a man who had fallen on the cement floor of the hospital because the largest hospital in this historic city did not have enough beds.

The Prime Minister promised to provide more help in the form of field hospitals and medical professionals. But a few minutes after he left the facility, five more patients died.

"The entire Haitian nation is in grief," Henry said on Twitter, announcing three days of national mourning. "I saw some of our compatriots being sent into this facility in a critical condition, and my heart was torn apart."